I said nothing. Instead I waited for him to release my neck and proceeded to drain the whole glass. I finished and handed Mason the empty glass.
"I guess you're in as much a hurry as I am." He finished his drink and set both down on the bar. "Shall we?"
"Yeah." The sooner we got the Cording over with, the sooner I could concentrate on finding Quinn.
Mason motioned to Jarrett who leaned against the wall watching us. He walked right over. "Everything okay?"
"Yes. Watch her. Don't let her out of your sight."
"Gotcha." Jarrett winked at me as Mason walked away. "You clean up well."
"Thanks." I smiled. Something about Jarrett put me at ease. "Where's Mason going?"
"Missing him already?" Jarrett raised an eyebrow.
"I was just wondering."
"He's just taking care of some business."
"How long does it take?"
"Depends how long winded Mason is. He likes to get a little theatrical sometimes." He took a seat on a bar stool and gestured for me to do the same. "Between you and me, he enjoys the spotlight."
I jumped up onto the stool, trying my best not to give the entire room more of a show then they were already getting.
"In all seriousness, you look real nice tonight."
"I feel ridiculous." I wrapped my arms over my chest.
"Why?"
"Because I'm barely wearing anything."
He grinned. "You say it like that's a bad thing."
I rolled my eyes. "It is. My father would have a heart attack if he saw me." My chest clenched. He was gone.
"Yeah well, he would be proud of you too I bet. Not many girls could make the kind of trip you made. And all to help your sister. That's pretty crazy."
"I'd do anything for her."
"How much younger is she? You are only barely of age yourself."
"She's older by eighteen months."
"And you have the same mother?"
"Uh huh."
"Crazy. I wonder what's in the water out in the Rurals." He took a sip of a brown liquid in his glass.
"If only it was as simple as the water."
He didn't reply. He didn't have to.
Talking to Jarrett was easy; it didn't take any effort. I decided to take a chance and ask a question. It was always better to understand a place. "What's the Circle?"
"The elite. There's ten of us."
"So you're on it?"
He smiled. "Yeah. Five of us always have a spot, and the other five spots rotate."
"What makes it so special?"
"You girls." He nodded toward where Mora talked with a man.
"What do you mean?"
"The Circle gets what they want when they want it. Do I need to spell it out?" He raised an eyebrow again.
"And everyone else?"
"Lottery and reward system."
"Oh."
"Your friend Ethan there is gunning for a spot on the Circle. He may have earned it by bringing you in."
"But he didn't bring me in. And Mason wasn't happy about that." I couldn't worry about Ethan. I had enough to worry about already.
"Why'd you show up here? Why didn't you go to another club?"
"You're right." I glanced around the room, looking for Ethan.
"He's playing cards in one of the back rooms."
"Oh."
"He's pretty good at it. He's also good at helping us move the whiskey. Business and cards involve the same skills. That's how he's risen so fast."
"He used to play cards back home." I had spent hours watching him. I loved watching him do anything. I shook away the memory.
"I can't believe he'd leave a girl like you." Jarrett took another sip of his drink.
"Me neither," I said it quietly, not sure I wanted Jarrett to hear.
"Why did he?"
"I guess I wasn't worth waiting for."
"What do you mean?" He turned on his stool.
"My father said I was too young. Ethan heard there were lots of women in the city … . took a train out."
"How long was he supposed to wait?"
"Three years at most."
"Man. I thought he was smart, but he's dumb as a doornail," Jarrett ran a hand through his hair.
I smiled. "I think he realized that pretty quickly after arriving."
"Sray is a great club, but choosing this over a guaranteed woman? How many would he have had to share you with?"